Does Optometry school require the extra 'fluff' for applications like med school?

[SleepyGene]

Currently I am pre-med finishing up my 2nd year of uni and after doing a lot of research into the application process it seems i'm going to have to dedicate quite a bit of time just to fluff my application. From what im reading pre-meds are completing hundreds of volunteer hours, months of clinical and research experience, and loads of extra curricular activities. This is on top of trying to maintain a competitive GPA and some are even taking a year off just to build up their applications! I knew this as a freshman but the more schooling I complete the more unrealistic for me its becoming, I would have to make some changes that would have a pretty big financial impact on me in order to make time.
I have a love for the medical field, i'm just having second thoughts about medical school so I'm researching the other health career paths that i'm interested in.
I'm wondering if someone with experience in applying to optometry school can tell me if it demands the same amount of dedication for their applications?

This is my first post on SDN, sorry if I do something wrong.

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[cateyegal]

While Optometry school is competitive, I would not say it is as competitive as the process for medical schools. You will definitely need shadowing experience, the more the better. All of the schools I interviewed with had a minimum they asked for, about 40-50 hours. They will look favorably upon research, volunteer experience, and work experience, but you can get by with solid shadowing experience and a good score on the OAT.

 

[KHE]

They really want that many hours? That's insane. There's no reason to have to shadow someone for 50 hours.

 

[Snakedoctor1]

The only school that gave me a minimum for shadowing was Pacific University and they recommended around 20 hours I believe. I'm very surprised other schools are asking for 40-50 now.